I'm looking for recommendations for pilates DVDs that people have enjoyed/found effective. I have a 2 week old daughter and we're moving to the north side of the city this week, so it won't be convenient for me to go to our gym anymore. I'd been taking pilates mat classes at our gym so I'm familiar with the different series. I'm looking for a video that I can do at home while the baby naps (ha ha!) or in the evenings when my husband gets home and I can sneak in a little break while he has daddy time.
Thanks in advance for your help!
As a fitness and wellness professional, Stott is the best in the pilates industry. You can get them cheap on Amazon. You can google Stott and find their website. It is the only company I'll recommend. The have a great postbaby series too. Be careful too and wait until the bleeding stops before you put any pressure on your abdominal wall. This typically takes about 4-6 weeks with a vaginal birth. Good luck!
Denise Austin and Kathy Smith are the two I highly recommend. They remain effective for me after four years of use. Techniques are easy to learn, creates an atmosphere of positive energy and taking great care of yourself. Wal-Mart is where I purchased mine, but it was over four years ago. Best wishes to you as you venture into your new life...it's a great one!
A friend of mine used to do pilates at the gym but had to cancel. She tried various dvds from the library. She settled on one from Kathy Smith-loves it, and another but not sure of the woman's name just to change it up.
Hi A.,
As another fitness professional, I too would recommend the Stott series- they have a specific post natal workout that will be great for you. As others have recommended, be sure to give your body time to recover from labor and delivery. If you are anxious to do something you can keep doing your kegels and start with some very light walks. Also, I wanted to recommend my company Stroller Strides to you. We offer fitness classes for moms and their babies with the stroller- it's a great workout for any level exerciser. We have class in Lincoln Square, not far from Edgewater. It's a great way to meet some other moms in your area, and seeing as how you just moved I thought it might be good for you! You can see our full schedule at www.strollerstrides.net/chicago. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
With Health,
J.
I like the Windsor Pilates series, by Mari Windsor. She does a really great job of coaching you about position, breathing, what to concentrate on, etc, and I find that I do a much "better" pilates workout with her videos than with others where there's not as much of that. She has a 3-dvd set that has a how-to for each exercise, 20 minute "basic" workout and an advanced body sculpting workout (hour-long). The other nice thing is that one of her models demonstrates "modified" exercises, which are great for early postpartum or if you're not quite strong enough to do the "official" version.
I actually *do* get to do my 20-minute DVD while my 2-year-old naps and my 8-week old daughter either watches or naps. I wouldn't start doing much until you're at least 5-6 weeks postpartum.
